French gold complicated pocket watch with chronograph Circa 1890

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Kenmerk
AA0198
Diameter
51 mm
Estimate
€ 9.000 - 16.000
Price sold
-

Gold pocket watch with five complications by Charles Oudin
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A French, keyless winding, open faced pocket watch with off center time and horological complications, including chronograph with a coaxial 60 minute and 12 hour recorder and date, circa 1890. Probably made by Victorin Piguet, Le Sentier (Vallée de Joux).
This watch has five horological complications: – 1/5 second chronograph (activated by the fluted push piece located on the case band at 9 o’clock) – Dragging 60 minute recorder (subsidiary dial at three o’clock; concentric hand to the follow) – 12-hour recorder (subsidiary dial at three o’clock; concentric hand to the previous) – Independent timing setting of the coaxial recorder (only when the chronograph is active by the push piece at one o’clock) – Date of the month (subsidiary dial at 12 o’clock; quick setting of the date by the bolt located under the bezel at 2 o’clock).
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The round shaped case is made of 18 Carat pink gold. The dial is enamel with center chronograph hand, outer seconds track with Arabic five seconds numerals, subsidiary dial for the constant seconds at six o’clock and three other subsidiary dials as described above. The movement is nickel plated with a going barrel, straight line equilibrated lever escapement, compensated balance and blued steel hairspring with a terminal curve.
Signed dial and case (by the retailer), and accompanied by original fitted box. Charles Oudin, probably made by Victorin Piguet.
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Diameter: 51.4 mm
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Signed: Charles Oudin
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The movement of the present watch is built with a decentred center wheel for the off center subsidiary hours and minutes dial at nine o’clock. In the subsidiary dial at three o’clock is located the coaxial chronograph minute- and hour recorder. The chronograph mechanism is fitted on the main plate, dial side.
The attribution to the workshop of Victorin Piguet results especially from a Patek Philippe pocket watch with a dial of its configuration, naturally including a particular construction of the movement. This latter movement ?? with minute repeater, chronograph, split seconds and a coaxial 60 minute and 12 hour recorder (at two o’clock) ?? was manufactured in 1895/1896, based on an ebauche from the Victorin Piguet workshop (Le Sentier, Vallée de Joux).
Today, this watch is kept in the Patek Philippe Museum, Geneva (Inv. P-1375). It seemed that Patek Philippe produced only this watch with this type of horological complications in this configuration. Some other Patek Philippe pocket watches are known with separate 60 minute and 12 hour recorders, all made, as well, on Victorin Piguet ebauches (see PPM, Inv. P-182, P-1211 and P-1624). Independently of its type of construction with eccentric time reading, this movement is really in the spirit of the achievements we know of Victorin Piguet. Unfortunately, as for other workshops in the Vallée de Joux which have made a speciality of producing ebauches or finished movements for major factories, especially from Geneva, we know the work of these watchmakers only by pieces signed by their sponsors but can identify them thanks to the precious “Livres d’établissement” (production register) of these manufactures.

Signed: Charles Oudin

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